View full sizeOpen land on Nike's 213-acre World Headquarters campus is one possible construction site for the company's next construction project.The Oregonian

Over the past two decades, Nike built its headquarters campus with no financial incentives from Washington County.

Times appear to be changing. Ongoing talks between the company and officials from Washington County, the City of Portland and the state that began in the middle of last year involve plenty of incentives.

So far, the talks have resulted in Oregon assuring Nike it would be taxed only its sales within the state for the next 30 years. Portland officials also expanded the city's eastside enterprise zone to include property on the west side of the Willamette River in a way that would accommodate a possible Nike construction site. And Beaverton is seeking to expand an enterprise zone boundary to include Nike's existing headquarters as well as a company-owned parcel believed to be a possible expansion site.

Nike's expansion in Oregon will, as required under the agreement with the state, be valued at $150 million minimum, be completed by 2016 and result in at least 500 full-time jobs. In securing the agreement with Oregon, Nike asserted its full-time jobs will pay at least $100,000 a year, on average.

"We have good relationships with both (Multnomah and Washington) counties and both have offered compelling options for our expansion which we continue to evaluate," Nike spokeswoman Mary Remuzzi said Friday, declining to comment further about the site selection process.

In constructing 22 buildings on the Nike campus, starting with its opening in October 1990, that relationship appears to have not gone beyond the company seeking county building permits.

"There have been no financial incentives that Washington County has provided Nike to encourage construction of its buildings," county spokesman Philip Bransford said this week.

Another county official declined to comment Friday about what has changed this time around.

While Nike officials have noted they did not seek the Beaverton enterprise zone, the passive approach apparently was not applied in Clark County.

The company, in its talks with Vancouver officials, "wanted a full exemption from the city's business licensing fees," which amounted to about $200,000, according to The Columbian. -- Allan Brettman